SA’s mermaids are back at it again as Tatjana Schoenmaker and Lara Van Niekerk nail the qualifying times at the South African Swimming Championships.
Gqeberha, South Africa (13 April, 2023) — South African mermaids, Tatjana Schoenmaker and Lara van Niekerk swam like superstars at the South African Swimming Championships in Gqeberha recently, with Schoenmaker earning back her place as the 100m breaststroke legend.
Schoenmaker’s time equals the second fastest time on Earth, with Van Niekerk following closely behind her.
Last year, Van Niekerk claimed the breaststroke title during the Commonwealth Games by beating Schoenmaker’s record. However, of Schoenmaker reclaiming her crown as the breaststroke queen, she shared:
“It was never about the title. If I came second or last, for me it was about those personal goals I set for myself.”
“It is challenging to come back from a 1:04.8 [at the Olympics in Tokyo] and then never breaking a 1:06 so it was really tough.
“I’ve seen it in training and my times have been looking great but it just didn’t link with my racing so I’m grateful to dip under that and see that my times in training are actually showing.” —Tatjana Schoenmaker.
And, their times were nothing short of a big splash. Schoenmaker soared like a water eagle with a time of 1:05:89 while Van Niekerk sailed with a time of 1:06:74.
And, the recent showdown was a winning moment for Gauteng.
“We’re also all from NTS [Northern Gauteng] so there’s never a competition where you’re not stepping up against world-class swimmers. I think that’s challenging on the mental side because you’re not always feeling great but then it’s such a good challenge to push yourself every time you swim.” – Tatjana Schoenmaker.
The pair are gearing up for the Swimming World Championships in Fukoka, Japan upcoming in July, and with their A qualifying times, we have no doubt they’ll make Mzansi proud in international waters once again.
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